POTSDAM  NexID Biometrics, 65 Main St., Suite 2203, has received $325,000 in grants to further develop and research software for fingerprint sensors on mobile devices.

NexID researches, develops and licenses fake finger detection software that determines whether the fingerprint being used to access a cellphone or tablet via a fingerprint sensor is a live finger or a spoof.

Mark J. Cornett, chief operating officer for NexID Biometrics, said the National Science Foundation gave a $280,000 grant to Clarkson University and West Virginia University for research on biometric security technology.

As a matching grant and to expand on what the two universities will be working on with the money they received, $100,000 was given to NexID from Seaway Private Equity Corporation, Mr. Cornett said.

That money will go to developing a liveness detection software for facial and iris scanners, he said.

Mr. Cornett said the facial and iris detection software is a long-term project and the company will receive the money over two years.

It will take us a couple years to get a product to market, he said.

The company also received a $150,000 Grant for Growth from the CenterState Corporation for Economic Opportunity based in Syracuse.

This will be used for software development and to accelerate growth by doing more of what we already do, he said. The CenterState grant was a competitive process with about 100 applicants. It made us feel good to come out on top.

The CenterState grant also was matched by SPEC with $75,000.

Mr. Cornett said the Grant for Growth was especially important as todays technology has put an increasing demand on the fake finger detection software the company develops to ensure greater security for people who use mobile devices to store confidential information.

Theres such a need for it with todays technology, he said. Honestly, we cant keep up with the need.

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